Freeport is a city of about 24,476 people in Stephenson County, Illinois, at 237 m (778 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:18 AM and sets at 6:10 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:32 PM – 6:28 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:26 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:32 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 06m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Freeport
At Freeport the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Freeport
24 photo locations lie within 80 km of Freeport. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkBotanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Mountain Peaks
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Freeport is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Bussey Lake, about 134 km (83 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bussey Lake | Lake | 134 km (83 mi) | 2 |
| Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 138 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Elkport | Ghost Town | 144 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Littleport | Ghost Town | 152 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Chicken Ridge Scenic Overlook Park | Scenic Viewpoint | 158 km (98 mi) | 2 |
| Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 160 km (99 mi) | 2 |
| Spook Cave | Cave | 161 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Backbone State Park | State Park | 164 km (102 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:38 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:31 AM – 4:31 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 12:40 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 10:50 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 10:40 PM – 1:40 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 9:48 PM – 11:38 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:45 PM – 9:35 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.